Book Clubs Los Angeles

Persuasion by Jane Austen (Rescheduled Date)

WHAT WE'RE READING: Persuasion by Jane Austen WHAT IT IS ABOUT: "*Persuasion*, Jane Austen's last novel, is a moving, masterly and elegiac love story tinged with the heartache of missed opportunities. It tells the story of Anne Elliot, who, persuaded to break off her engagement to the man she loved because he was not successful enough, has never forgotten him. When he returns, he brings with him a tantalizing second chance of happiness." WHERE WE'RE MEETING: 4100 Bar in Silver Lake A NOTE ON PARKING: Street parking should be more readily accessible on Sunset Blvd to the west of the meet-up location. A NOTE ON THE MEET-UP SEATING LOCATION: Meet-ups are generally held on the bar terrace, if sufficient seating is available. Please dress warmly in the event of cool evening weather! A NOTE ON RSVPING: If your name is on the attendee list for a scheduled meet-up and you no longer plan on attending the event, please remove your name from the attendee list at least a week before the scheduled event to allow individuals on the waitlist sufficient time to read the book beforehand (no worries if a cancellation has to be last-minute, though!). Happy reading! Colin

It’s the summer, let’s start a spicy book club!

Book Club Meeting: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

**Mocha Girls Read \| June Book Club Meeting** Join us for our June book club meeting as we come together to discuss our Monthly Book Selection, *Yellowface* by R.F. Kuang. This month, we are diving into a bold and thought-provoking story that explores authorship, identity, and the complexities of the publishing world. Whether you loved the book, had questions, or didn't even read it yet, your voice is welcome in this space. 📅 **Date:** Friday, June 6 ⏰ **Time:** 1:30 PM 📍 **Location:** Lore Bookstore 4334 Degnan Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008 **About the Book** “Hard to put down, harder to forget.” — Stephen King White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting psychological thriller from R.F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel. Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars in the world of literary fiction. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I. So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree. But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves. With its totally immersive first-person voice from a masterfully crafted unreliable narrator, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable. **Parking:** Metered street parking is available. Parking across the street is typically the best option.

Literary Open Mic

Bring a five-minute (maximum) original reading to share with a community of writers. Or just come drink beer and soak in the poetry, short stories, songs, monologues, and more! It's free to attend and free to read. Check out our [merch](https://noholitmic.threadless.com/)! **Please note that the only way to reserve a spot to read is to follow this link to our [sign-up form](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sYc12KZ9c_P_6jbylgF1R1ER03S35XghUYgCR52Irf8/edit?tab=t.0) (or copy and paste the link below).** RSVPing on MeetUp doesn't guarantee you a spot! If you'd like to come listen without reading, you are very welcome to, and you do not need to sign up or RSVP. [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sYc12KZ9c_P_6jbylgF1R1ER03S35XghUYgCR52Irf8/edit?tab=t.0](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sYc12KZ9c_P_6jbylgF1R1ER03S35XghUYgCR52Irf8/edit?tab=t.0)

Book Club: The Night Ship by Jess Kid

*The Night Ship* by Jess Kidd is a historical fiction novel that interweaves two stories: that of Mayken, a young girl on the 17th-century Dutch ship Batavia, and Gil, a boy sent to live on a remote Australian island in 1989, whose lives become connected through the island and the ship's tragic history. The book explores themes of survival, loss, and connection, blending historical fact with magical realism, and is based on the real-life shipwreck of the Batavia. Looking forward to enjoying afternoon tea at the Callisto Tea House in Pasadena. The menu can be found here: [https://callistoteahouse.com/pages/menu](https://callistoteahouse.com/pages/menu) The event fee will secure your reservation and be applied to membership dues, which covers the cost of the website. The event fee is NONREFUNDABLE unless the event is canceled by the organizer. To join the waitlist comment on the event page. If you have RSVPed and can no longer attend, please contact me directly and I will contact the people on the waiting list and then move you to "not going" when I find a replacement. Thank you and happy reading!

A Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu

For Pride month we will be reading A Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu. In her poignant debut novel, \*Marriage of a Thousand Lies\*, SJ Sindu intricately weaves a tale of identity and deception within the Sri Lankan-American and LGBTQ communities. Lucky and her husband Krishna maintain a facade of marital harmony to appease their traditional families, all while engaging in secret affairs. Though this arrangement seems to work for Lucky—who fills her life with dance, art, and the thrill of independence—her carefully constructed world shifts when she returns to her childhood home to care for her injured grandmother. There, she reconnects with Nisha, her first love, who is on the brink of an arranged marriage with a stranger. As their bond reignites, Lucky faces the challenge of convincing Nisha to escape her own entrapment while grappling with her own life's complexities. \*Marriage of a Thousand Lies\* is a vivid exploration of the intersections of race, sexuality, and cultural expectation, delivering a heartfelt narrative about love, truth, and the sacrifices one must make to embrace authenticity.

Light from Uncommon Stars IN PERSON at Aroma Cafe

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

Check back for the location! **Book Summary from Goodreads:** An insanely competitive housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly humorous debut novel, *Best Offer Wins*, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success—and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams? Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian — and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track — Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand). A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged—but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The most unsettling part? You’ll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief.

Weaving machines, melodies and mysteries

Hollywood Fringe offers an array of theatre experiences. Today we will explore the history of the Luddites who fought the weaving machines that birthed both child labor and computers. **[We are All Burning](https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13672)** PWYC noon. Next we will travel to the eerie woods outside of Greyhaven to find missing teen Eli Whitaker as **[The Resurrectionists.](https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/14056)** $25 2:30 at 1067 Lillian Way Then, next door, we'll meet the sunny Doris Day performed by Deborah Robin in **[Day after Day](https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13646)** $22 5:30 pm It'll be a palate cleanser.

June Book Discussion: The Girl With A Thousand Faces

The votes are in, and the winner is The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean! Summary: From the USA Today bestselling author of The Book Eaters comes The Girl with a Thousand Faces, a Gothic tale set in a historical Hong Kong that meshes ancient myths and local legends into a haunting story of ghosts, grief, and women who will not forgive. When Mercy Chan washes up on the shores of Hong Kong with no family, no money, and no memories, the only refuge she finds is the infamous, ghost-infested slum of Kowloon Walled City. Since then, she has rebuilt her life, working for the local triad as a ghost talker and dealing with the angry and bitter spirits who haunt the district. The filthy gutters and cramped alleyways of Kowloon have become her home. But the past Mercy can’t remember isn't done with her. An unusually powerful ghost has infested Kowloon’s waterways, drowning innocents and threatening the district. It claims to know Mercy—and secrets from her past that are best left forgotten. As Mercy is drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with this malignant spirit, she begins to realize that the monster she fights within these walls may well be one of her own making.

June: "Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke

**LOCATION:** Shannon's house! Address will be mailed the Friday before. (Harbor City) **WHAT WE'RE READING:** **A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified in the brutal reality of 1805—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.** ***My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.*** Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the Republican equivalent of a Kennedy? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it. Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a brutal reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible. A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, *Yesteryear* is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood. **NO SHOW POLICY:** In April 2019, a new NO SHOW POLICY was put into place to help ensure people on the waitlist can get into each meeting with enough time to read the book while also weeding out flakey flakers who reserve a seat but don't use it. The new NO SHOW POLICY is in two parts: (1) If you RSVP 'Going' and cancel your RSVP within seven days of book club WITHOUT EXPLANATION, you'll be immediately removed from the group. (2) If you RSVP 'Going' and cancel your RSVP within seven days of book club with explanation, but for any reason, you'll be marked a 'No Show.' If you rack up three 'No Shows," you'll be removed from the group.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

**The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is a gripping tale of family secrets and suspense.** The novel centers on Olivia Dumont, a ghostwriter who has spent her life distancing herself from her father, the infamous horror novelist Vincent Taylor. Facing financial difficulties, Olivia is offered a job to ghostwrite her father's last book, unaware that this project is intertwined with his past lies and a tragic family history.